Abstract
Opioid use accelerates normal aging in adults that raises a question on whether it may trans-generationally affect aging and aging biomarkers in the offspring of users as well? In the present research, we investigated the relative telomere length in umbilical cord blood of newborns born to opioid consuming mothers compared to normal controls. Telomere length shortening is a known biomarker of aging and aging related diseases. Its measure at birth or early in life is considered as a predictor of individual health in adulthood. Here, we performed a case-control study to investigate whether maternal opioid use affects newborns relative telomere length (RTL). 57 mother-newborn dyads were included in this study, 30 neonates with opioid using mothers (OM), and 27 with not-opioid using mothers (NOM)). RTL was measured in leukocyte cells genomic DNA using real-time PCR. The correlation of maternal opioid use with neonates telomer length was assessed using logistic regression analysis. The results displayed a significant association between odds ratio of long RTL and maternal opioid use when sensitivity analysis was performed by neonate sex; where the data indicates significantly increased odds ratio of long leukocyte RTL in association with maternal opioid use in male neonates only. Further work is necessary to assess this association in larger samples and test the potential underlying mechanisms for this observation.
Highlights
Opioids are substances that bind to opioid receptors in different tissues such as brain and exert potent physiological effects, most importantly pain reduction and euphoria [1]
Maternal opioid use is reflected on leukocyte telomere length of male newborns pre-pregnancy weight, maternal weight before delivery, mother’s age, medical history and education, baby’s sex, and gestational age at delivery, delivery type) were obtained using the recorded checklists filled by primary health centers during pregnancy screening visits, including results of physical examination of pregnant women by the gynecologist in the health centers, as well as neonates characteristics recorded at birth-time after examination by medical doctors and maternity ward nurse)
Our analyses indicate a relationship between maternal opioid use and leukocyte telomere length in male offspring
Summary
Opioids are substances that bind to opioid receptors in different tissues such as brain and exert potent physiological effects, most importantly pain reduction and euphoria [1]. The high rate of illicit opioid use in women is a critical public health concern, for women, and for the risks it poses to their offspring, since opioids cross the placental and bloodbrain barriers [2]. Pregnancy complications associated with prenatal opioid exposure include. The prior studies on health issues for neonates born to opioid using mothers have mainly focused on the abstinence syndrome and the neurological impacts at infancy [4,5,6]. To the best of our knowledge, no study has addressed life-time and long-term consequences of prenatal opioid exposure
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